Philippians: For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain

This book may have become my favorite book in the Bible. For some reason, reading it brought a sense of freshness, something different from Paul’s other epistles. I just like how Paul befriended a bunch of retired Roman soldiers and preached the Gospel to them, which led to them being some of his greatest supporters down the road.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Most of Paul's letters usually starts out like this: "hi guys, its Paul again, I've never stopped praying lots for ya'll, and WHAT IN HEAVEN'S NAME IS ALL THIS CRAP I HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING!?!?" But that isn't the case with these ex-soldiers turned Christians, as Paul keeps gushing them praise that he fears has been lacking. Paul even singles them out as the only church to help him in the early days.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

"Hey look at me. I was the hotshot politician. I was the he who made it in the world. I had influence. I had power. I was even considered righteous, uncorrupt and loved by the people, while being moral and upright and at the same time slaughtering heretics," yet it was all "filthy rags" in the end. Saul (old Paul) kind of reminds me of Percy from Harry Potter mixed with Nale from Words of Radiance. Paul’s tone of honesty in this letter again emphasizes the freshness, how Paul uses himself as an example of how everything from God and of God, and not from man. This is a bit different from other places where Paul purposefully self-deprecates (1 Timothy) for the purpose of teaching, or chastens himself as someone with tons of spiritual authority (1 Corinthians) for the purpose of rebuking. Here Paul writes this to relate himself to us as someone who had chased the world, and found God instead (or God found him).

10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. 

14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

There is an element of missions in this book that no one preaches or talks about (except maybe Mark Gungor): the act of giving and receiving. The church only sent one guy, and Paul didn't criticize the Church for not sending more men. Instead he basically gushed over the gifts these retired Roman geezers have sent him, providing all he needs. Where are these kinds of message in today's overseas missions movements? Yes churches don't fall into complacency and worldliness, storing up wealth for ourselves, but don't try to guilt trip people into doing overseas missions. As Paul says, let the Church of Philippi do missions in that city. We ought to encourage this level of radical giving and local serving in the church.

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

¹⁷ Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

There is a huge focus of looking to one another (and more mature Christians) as boosters and encouragement in the faith. By following a model, we are less likely to fall into traps and false doctrine. Satan is real guys, and he's a sly tricky bastard.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I love Paul's honesty with sharing his own spiritual walk with his brothers and sister in Philippi. He admits that he hasn't reached a level of faith where he is satisfied, he hasn't reached his goal yet. One can even infer that he never got there, as he died before reaching Spain from Rome. This reminds me of that old slave prayer everyone has been sharing on tumblr recently. Paul gives Christians at all stages in their walk with Christ, to live up to the amount of faith we have already have. Not the amount we wish we had, not the amount someone else has, and not the amount people tell us we should have. If you are a level 1 Christian, then live up to that station. If you are a level 99 Christian, then do the same to the extent of faith given to you by God. But don't try to force it by your own strength, because we know that strength is nothing at all.

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” - John Newton